


And I Am In Them, and That Is Eternity

by ken_ichijouji (dommific)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Cooking, Day of the Dead, Food, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Marigolds, dia de los muertos, shrine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 12:54:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13502018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dommific/pseuds/ken_ichijouji
Summary: The day Leo moves into his own apartment for the first time (though he has a roommate from the LA Skating Club, a nice guy two years older who’s half of a medal-winning ice dance team), he’s quick to set up his room to the best of his ability.The movers put his bed together, the desk was straightforward, but his low, solid table rests below his south-facing window.For the time being, it remains bare.





	And I Am In Them, and That Is Eternity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cainhurst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cainhurst/gifts).



> I asked on Twitter if anyone was planning any Dia de Los Muertos Leo fic or art and got a resounding "hey you should do that."
> 
> So anyways, Leo's practices are based off real-life Chicano friends of mine, and the beautiful and kind Asce beta'ed this for me to make sure it was accurate and culturally sensitive. I owe her a great deal for this, thank you so much Asce. <3 
> 
> I should likely have put this on here sooner, so I'm quite sorry for that. But I hope you like it just the same!

The day Leo moves into his own apartment for the first time (though he has a roommate from the LA Skating Club, a nice guy two years older who’s half of a medal-winning ice dance team), he’s quick to set up his room to the best of his ability. 

The movers put his bed together, the desk was straightforward, but his low, solid table rests below his south-facing window.

For the time being, it remains bare.

His season is about to start, and fortunately his Grand Prix Final qualifiers are the week before November 1 at Skate America, which means he can justify going home before he travels to Japan for the NHK trophy. It’s a roll of the dice every time, but this year it’s important he celebrate. 

He has an earlier than typical practice and when he gets home, he sets to work. A wooden box is placed in the center of the table for the highest level—the floor and the table itself serve as the middle and bottom two. Purple cloth covers everything with white lace runners over it. The photos and keepsakes he arranges more carefully, the effort taking a solid hour to get just right between the ceramic sugar skull pieces and ensuring the tributes are not obscured. His _abuela’s_ rosary goes in a special spot of honor since he lost her this May, Leo pressing a kiss to the white beads before setting them in place. 

His mother grows the marigolds, and she gave him clippings in a paper bag last night after their weekly family dinner. He arranges them around the artifacts—a baseball cap from a high school friend who died in a car accident senior year, framed black and white photos of his _bisabuelos_ when they were young, an action figure of the too-young son of a coach and choreographer couple at the rink everyone knew and got on with, the collar and lead of his childhood rescue dog, Perlita. He stands prayer candles in multiple spots around the table including a colorful pair Phichit gifted him for his birthday.

He steals the step stool from the kitchen and puts up the _papel picado_ , not just above and from the altar, but on his walls and around the apartment to make sure his loved ones have a proper doorway to the human realm. They look nice, livening the space with color and a warm greeting for those who have moved on.

When Leo is satisfied, he moves to the kitchen where he prepares the food. He bakes the de la Iglesia _pan de muerto_ , a task he assisted his mother with starting at age seven, the recipe and instructions measured and followed by rote as if he’s put on a warm, comfortable old sweater. While it rises and bakes dusted with pink sugar, he fills a plate for the shrine with tamales, _abuela’s_ favorite cheeses, several mandarin oranges along with a bottle of tequila Mama got him at BevMo with a sly look and a comment that what he does with the Patron after the holiday is his business. 

The bread cools and he finishes the set up, lighting the candles before kneeling and taking some time to reflect. He sends good cheer and a polite request to meet everyone again, since he knows they’re still out there even if he cannot see them.

Once he feels at peace, he takes a photo and uploads it to Instagram. _¡Felize Dia de los Muertos! #shrine #diadelosmuertos #dayofthedead #rip_

Likes and comments flood in, including Phichit replying about the candles with a winking smiley. 

Leo makes his own dinner, sharing the leftovers with his roommate when he returns from late ballet lessons and when he sleeps that night in the dim candleglow, he is content.


End file.
